Butterfly Haven

El Valle

LoginSave

One of El Valle's top attractions allows you to walk among up to 250 butterflies as they flutter by in a screened 'flight house.' Learn more about these ephemeral creatures, which live for just a couple of weeks maximum, through a 15-minute video, life-cycle exhibits and a rearing lab, where you'll see lepidoptera in various stages of development.

The enthusiastic owner from the USA will gladly show you around the enclosure, pointing out fabulous specimens such as the stunning giant blue morpho and the owl butterfly, whose wings mimic the bird's eyes. Multilingual info sheets are available.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Parque Arqueológico del Caño

    Parque Arqueológico del Caño

    29.14 MILES

    This archaeological site, under extensive renovation at the time of research, contains three pre-Columbian mounds dating from between AD 500 and 1200. The…

  • Cigarros Joyas de Panama

    Cigarros Joyas de Panama

    21.71 MILES

    This local cigar factory enjoys quite a reputation internationally for its unique hand-rolled Cuban-seed puros (cigars). Depending on the time of year, a…

  • La Piedra Pintada

    La Piedra Pintada

    1.5 MILES

    Located in the northwestern corner of the valley, La Piedra Pintada is a huge boulder adorned with pre-Columbian carvings. Locals sometimes fill in the…

  • Chorro El Macho

    Chorro El Macho

    1.84 MILES

    The most famous waterfall in the El Valle region is 35m-high Chorro El Macho, one of four cascades located about 2km north of town; it's a 15-minute walk…

  • Zoológico El Níspero

    Zoológico El Níspero

    0.78 MILES

    About 1km north of Av Central, this zoo set in the forest is home to everything from tapirs and capuchin monkeys to jaguars and more than 50 species of…

  • Aprovaca

    Aprovaca

    0.52 MILES

    For the largest selection of orquídeas (orchids) in the region, visit this idyllic, not-for-profit garden east of the center, run by the local association…

  • Square-Trunk Trees

    Square-Trunk Trees

    1.66 MILES

    El Valle’s peculiar árboles cuadrados (square-trunk trees) are located northeast of the Hotel Campestre. After a 30-minute hike through the forest and…

View more attractions

Nearby El Valle attractions

1. Museo Victoriano Lorenzo

0.35 MILES

The exhibits in the three rooms of this small museum east of the center focus on local history and the eponymous mestizo national hero. The most…

2. Museo Histórico Padre José Noto

0.51 MILES

The most interesting exhibits in this small, very central museum divided into seven sections are the ones focusing on petroglyphs and ceramics produced by…

3. Aprovaca

0.52 MILES

For the largest selection of orquídeas (orchids) in the region, visit this idyllic, not-for-profit garden east of the center, run by the local association…

5. Zoológico El Níspero

0.78 MILES

About 1km north of Av Central, this zoo set in the forest is home to everything from tapirs and capuchin monkeys to jaguars and more than 50 species of…

6. Chorro Las Mozas

1.43 MILES

The most accessible of the waterfalls around El Valle is Chorro Las Mozas, located about 2km southwest of town; you can reach it on foot from the center…

7. La Piedra Pintada

1.5 MILES

Located in the northwestern corner of the valley, La Piedra Pintada is a huge boulder adorned with pre-Columbian carvings. Locals sometimes fill in the…

8. Square-Trunk Trees

1.66 MILES

El Valle’s peculiar árboles cuadrados (square-trunk trees) are located northeast of the Hotel Campestre. After a 30-minute hike through the forest and…